Powder-die.



A. F. DU

PWDER APPLIOATION H-LE PATBNTED MAY 3 0, 1905. PONT. I

DIE.

D NOV. 7, 1904 w/TNEsSES Tram/U5 UNITED STATES Jatented May 3o, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.-

POWDER-DIE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 791,111, dated May 30,1905.

' Application filed NOVGDlbI' '7, 1904:. v Serial N0- 231,657'

Be it known that I, ALEXIS FELIX DU PONT,

a citizen of the United States,residing at Wilmington, county ofNewcastle, and State of Delaware, have invented a new and usefulImreference being had to the accompanying y drawings, which form a partof this specification.

My invention relates to certain improvement 1n dies for making powder ofmultiperforated form. In the ordinary method now in use for this purposethere are two presses-` one a double press, which first strains orscreens the explosive and then consolidatesit, thus bringing it to themost satisfactory condition to pass through the die. The other press isused to force the explosive through the pin-plate and barrel of the die.There are thus two treatments or operations.

I have invented a die in which both the above treatments may be giventhe explosive in a single operation.

I'will iirst describe my invention as em bodied in the accompanyingdrawings `and then point out the invention in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical section of my improved die andone end of the pressing-cylinder. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of thescreen-plate. Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the pin-plate.

A is the press-cylinder, and A the pistonhead in said cylinder.

C is the pin-barrel, having the head C externally threaded, whereby itis secured to the internally-threaded end of the cylinder A.

D is the pin-plate, having orifices a? and also pins 0l extendingtherethrough and riveted on the back side. These pins extend through theinterior space of the barrel from end to v end. This pin-plate issecured or rests on the internal shoulder d3 of the barrel. Above thispin-plate D a distance suflicient to form a chamber E is thescreening-plate F, resting or secured on the internal shoulder f.Preferably I make the screen cup-shaped, so that the cross-section formsan arch across the aperture of the die. Through this screeningplate F'are orifices f', of smaller size but of .the powder therein has beengreater number than the oriiices l in the pinplate D. The chamber abovethe screeningplate is lled with powder, which under the action of thepiston-head A', operated by hydraulic pressure, is forced through'thescreen-plate F and is blocked or consolidated in the space or chamber E,and is thenceforced through the perforations or orifices-d and throughthe barrel O around the pins CZ, coming out therefrom as a perforatedgrain having perforations equal in number to'the pins, seven being shownin the drawings; The pistoncontinues on its way through the chamberuntil all pressed out through the die.

By screening and blocking or consolidating the powder, as I do in myimproved apparatus simultaneously with the pressing out into a string, Ido away with the double press now used for straining and blocking thepowder before putting it into the final press,which Vpressesrit into astring'. The screening-plate F also takes out any dirt which may be inthe powder before it reaches the pin-plate, great trouble having beenexperienced heretofore by foreign matter lodging against theperforations in the pin, thus causing an unequal flow of the mass and acorresponding displacement of the pins. By having the perforations inthescreen smaller than the perforations in the pin plate all foreign matterwill lodge against the screen, except such small particles as will alsogo through the pin-plate, and

thus not displace the pin. The perforations in the screen while smallerare more numerous than the perforations in the pin-plate and havealarger total area,so that more powdercan ow through the screen thanthrough the pinplate, this inequality creating the blocking orconsolidating pressure, before mentioned, in the space E.

My invention may be used for smokeless or other powder or for powderscontaining nitrocellulose or nitroglycerin or any explosive compoundwhich it may be desirable to manufacture in the multiperforated form,provided its physical properties warrant pressing through a die.

It is obvious that a die on the same principle can be used tomanufacture powder in the IOO form of rectangular strips` round rods orbarrel, a screen Separated from the pin-plate, grains,` rods withoneperforation, orany other forming between them Vaconso]idating-chanidesirablezforrn. ber` a powder-receiving chamber backof the 35 Having now fully described my invention, screen, and means toapply pressure to the 5 whatI claim, and desire to protect by Letterspowder. in the receiving-chamber.

Patent, is- 5. The combination with a die having a pin- 1. Incombinationfwith adie having-a perbarrel-and an oriiieed pin-plate backof thc forated pin-plate and pins projecting therebarrel, of a screenback of the pin-plate, forln- 40 from, of a perforated screening-platein line ing between them a consolidati11g-chamber, a

I0 with said pin-plate, there being a chamber lcylinder back of the screen, and apiston workforrned in the die between said screening-plateing in the cylinder adapted to force the powand pin-plate. dersuccessively through the screen, consoli- 2. In "combination, a powderreceiving dating-chamber, pin-platey and pin-barrel. 45 chamber, apowder-consolidating charnbenfat 6. =The combination wlth a die h'avmgapin- 5 screen between said powder-receiving chambarrel and an orificedpin-plate back of the ibe'rfa-ndpowderfconsolidating chamber: and .abarrel, of an oriiicedscreen-backofithepin- .powderfforming .dieebeyondthe consolidatyplate said .pinfplate and screcndueing spacedAing-cchamber;` havin-g, a pin-barreLand meansv vapart,\ the oricesinthe screen beingsmaller 50 `toappl-y'pressure'in thepoWder-,receivingandfrnore numerous-than theoriices in'tho 20ehamber,xtherehy,simultaneouslycernpress-y `pin1fplate, a cylinderbackofthescreen, and u-ingandiforming-the powder in .a single` oper-` .af pistonworking in the cylinder vadaptedto tation. force the powderthroughthe-screen fand' con- B. -.In lcombination, .a {powder receiving4solidate itin thc space between the screen and 55 `chamber1ha;powder-consolidatingchambena .pinTplate,.and thence throughthepinvplatc -25 screen: between; said powderfreceivingcha-nr. andpin-barrel.

ybert-andipowder-consolidating chamber and .a 4In testimony. of-whichinventiond have herc- `powderfforming de-barrel, vand-meansv to `apuntoset: inyhand at VVihnington onthis 1st ;p1yjpressur.e!in.thereceiving-chamber` there- `day of November, :1904.

I'by'simultaneously compressing fandiforming ALEXIS FELIX `DU PONT. .30the powder in a single operation. y Witnesses:

A. 51ncombination, a diefhaving a pin-bar` REUBEN. SATTmrrUWArr,--J r.,

relandanoriicedpinfplate backof the pin-i v GLIFRORD -V. M-ANNERING.

